Word
振り返る
Meaning in Englishto turn head, to turn around, to look back
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 振り返る mean? It means to turn one's gaze back toward something, often to reflect on past events or reconsider actions, and to review or reassess a situation.
Main meanings
- physical act of turning the head or body to look behind you
- reflecting on past events or experiences
- reassessing or reconsidering plans, projects, or actions
How to use it
Used in both spoken and written Japanese, across formal and informal registers. In general, it describes looking back on past events or reviewing ongoing plans, and it can be used with a variety of objects to specify what is being looked back upon.
Variants and close terms
- 回顧する (kaikōsuru) — to review or reminisce
- 思い返す (omoikaesu) — to recall or think back
- 見返す (mikaesu) — to look back or compare favorably
- 忘れる (wasureru) — antonym: to forget
Composition
- 振: to shake or swing; indicates motion connected with turning
- 返: to return, to come back; provides the sense of turning back
- り: kana that links the elements and marks the stem
- る: verb ending that marks the dictionary form of the godan verb
Word class
verb (godan)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
返答
hentou
reply
N1
身振り
miburi
gesture
N2
～振り
～buri
after an interval of ~
N2
裏返す
uragaesu
to turn inside out, to turn (something) over
N2
引き返す
hikikaesu
to turn back, to go back, reverse
N2
引っ繰り返す
hikkurikaesu
to turn over, to overturn, to knock over
N2
引っ繰り返る
hikkurikaeru
to be overturned, to be upset, to topple over, to be reversed
N2
振り仮名
furigana
pronunciation key
N2
振り向く
furimuku
to turn one's face, to turn around
Kanji